Dugong (Dugong dugon) also called ‘Sea Cow

◆only existing species of
◆herbivorous mammal that lives exclusively in the sea including in India.herbivorous mammal
◆IUCN vulnerable
◆WPA 1972 Schedule I
◆Included in CMS Bonn convention
◆Dugongs graze on seagrass
◆Found at- Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat.

#Prelim2020 #Aug2020

Gravitational Waves are a relatively new field of discovery.

These were proposed by Albert Einstein in his General Theory of Relativity, over a century ago.

However, the first gravitational wave was actually detected by LIGO only in 2015.

#Prelim2020

Black Hole

It refers to a point in space where the matter is so compressed as to create a gravity field from which even light cannot escape.

The concept was theorized by Albert Einstein in 1915 and the term ‘black hole’ was coined in the mid-1960s by American physicist John Archibald Wheeler.


In April 2019, the scientists at the Event Horizon Telescope Project released the first-ever image of a Black Hole (more precisely, of its shadow).

#Prelim2020

Mid-Day meal scheme

◆The scheme guarantees one meal to all children in government and aided schools and madarsas supported under Samagra Shiksha

◆Students up to Class VIII are guaranteed one nutritional cooked meal at least 200 days in a year.

◆Under the Ministry of HRD.

◆launched in the year 1995 as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP – NSPE), a centrally sponsored scheme. In 2004, the scheme was relaunched as the Mid Day Meal Scheme.

◆The cost of the MDMS is shared between the central and state governments.

#Prelim2020

Kesavananda Bharati case

1.Supreme Court announced the basic structure doctrine was in the case of His Holiness Kesavananda Bharati Sripadagalvaru and Ors v State of Kerala.

2.The case was primarily about the extent of Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution.

3.the court held that fundamental rights cannot be taken away by amending them

4.While the court said that Parliament had vast powers to amend the Constitution, it drew the line by observing that certain parts are so inherent and intrinsic to the Constitution that even Parliament cannot touch it.

5.However, despite the ruling that Parliament cannot breach fundamental rights, the court upheld the amendment that removed the fundamental right to property. The court ruled that in spirit, the amendment would not violate the “basic structure” of the Constitution

#Prelim2020

MESOPHOTIC CORALS

A Mesophotic coral reef (meso meaning middle and photic meaning light) is characterized by the presence of both light dependent coral and algae, and organisms that can be found in water with low light penetration

#Prelim2020 #Environment

◆country's first garbage café: Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh.

◆1st Insect museums Tamilnadu

◆India’s 1st Genetic Bank ForWildlife Conservation Hyderabad

#Prelim2020

Sangai deer

◆Known as Dancing deer,Brow antler deer(or Eld’s deer )

◆Found inKeibul Lamjao NP at Loktake lake Manipur

◆Endemic species found only in Manipur, India

◆IUCN -Endangered

◆Sangai festival— annual cultural festival

◆State animal of Manipur

◆There was plan to relocate some deers in Phumlenpat lake(Manipur)
But plan was cancelled

#Prelim2020

Pottery Period, Painted Grey Ware- Rig Vedic and the Early Iron Age


Northern Black Polished Ware- Mahajanapada and Buddhism in India


Red Black Ware -
Chalcolithic Neolithic Phase

#Prelim2020

Tiger translocation

India’s first interstate tiger relocation from Kanha TR to Satkosia of Odisha.

Tigers from Ranthambore also relocated to Sariska. Both in RJ

#Prelim2020

LAFFER CURVE

◆Developed in 1974 by economist Arthur Laffer.

◆It show the relationship between tax rates and the amount of tax revenue collected by governments.

◆Tax revenues change when the tax rate is either increased or decreased.

◆Inverted-U shape.

#Prelim2020

PHILLIPS CURVE

Developed in 1958 by economist William Phillips.

It shows inverse relationship between unemployment rate and inflation.

High levels of employment can be achieved only at high levels of inflation.

Dilemma for policy makers. (Inflation hurts poor the most)

#Prelim2020

KUZNETS CURVE

Developed in 1950s by economist Simon Kuznets.

It shows the relationship between Growth & Inequality.

Economic growth initially leads to greater inequality, followed later by the reduction of inequality.

Inverted-U shape.

#Prelim2020

EU Green deal-

◆Launched at COP 25 by EU a climate action plan known as European Green Deal after the failures of any concrete agreement by global community

◆Major Decisions under Green Deal

1.Achieving Climate Neutrality-
To become “climate neutral” by 2050 and to achieve this, a law will be brought which will be binding on all member countries.

2.Increasing 2030 Emission Reduction Targets-
Increase the reduction in its emissions to at least 50% and work towards 55% in the near future.

#Facts
1.Bhutan and Suriname are the only carbon neutral countries in the world

2.The EU is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world after China and the USA.

#Prelim2020

IN-SPACe:(Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre)

●Newly-announced body under the Department of Space.
●It will be the nodal national entity to drive building of satellites, rockets, or launch services through Indian industry.
●act as a national nodal agency for hand-holding and promoting private industry in the space sector
●Dharmendra singh committee recommended it

#Prelim2020

National Transit Pass System (NTPS)

◆It is an online transit pass generation system for timber, bamboo and other forest produce
◆launched recently by the Union Environment Ministry
◆pilot project will be functional in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana for now.

#Prelim2020 #evironment #Aug2020

Supplementary Grant: It is granted when the amount authorised by the Parliament through the appropriation act for a particular service for the current financial year is found to be insufficient for that year.

It is specified by the Article 115 of the constitution of India, along with Additional and Excess Grants.

#Prelim2020

Vote of Credit: It is granted for meeting an unexpected demand upon the resources of India, when on account of the magnitude or the indefinite character of the service, the demand cannot be stated with the details ordinarily given in a budget. Hence, it is like a blank cheque given to the Executive by the Lok Sabha

#Prelim2020

Methane hydrate.

Known as methane clathrate, hydromethane, methane ice, fire ice, natural gas hydrate, and gas hydrate.

Methane hydrate is an "ice" that only occurs naturally in subsurface deposits where temperature and pressure conditions are favourable for its formation.

Most methane hydrate deposits also contain small amounts of other hydrocarbon hydrates. These include propane hydrate and ethane hydrate.

Methane is a clean and economical fuel.

#Prelim2020

Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO)

Publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

#Prelim2020